Community› The Bump Month Clubs› April 2022 Moms
April 2022 Moms
New Discussion

Med Free Birth

kiwi2628kiwi2628 member
edited September 2021 in April 2022 Moms
It is never to early to start thinking, researching, reading about etc... if you want a med free birth so I thought I would start a discussion for anyone to bring up questions, discuss pros/cons of med free vs epidural or other interventions, share resources for info etc... This is not a place to shame medications, interventions or anything. Only factual information or personal opinions on things please!

This will be my third med free birth- first wasn't by choice and second was because I had already done it once and was actually really happy with a lot of stuff I didn't know went along with med free so I decided to do it again....and now again!
Report Reply to Post
«1

Re: Med Free Birth

  • doxiemoxie212doxiemoxie212 member
    I didn't end up going med free, but I think absolutely everyone should research coping strategies because you never know if you'll get stuck in traffic on the way to the hospital or if baby will come really quickly, etc. You might not have the option of getting the pain interventions you hope for, etc. (Just like you might not end up being able to have a med-free birth.) 
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • hoosiermamajaydenhoosiermamajayden member
    I have run quite the gamut of birth experiences!

    With my first I wanted med-free but wasn’t met with a lot of support and didn’t know how to prepare. Had PROM, didn’t go into labor, was induced with cytotec and then pitocin; was completely unprepared for those contractions, and got an epidural. At that point since I didn’t know what was going on with my body or how to handle it, I think the epidural helped me relax. I took a nap and woke up almost fully dilated. I got lucky and had a good epidural— I still had some sensation and control (could feel the urge to push) but no pain. No spinal headaches or anything afterward. I did have an episiotomy which I think could have been avoided were I in a different position. Afterward, though, healing was terrible. After all the IV fluids and things pumped into me I felt TERRIBLE. Was so swollen. Went home from the hospital weighing more than when I went in I was so filled up with water weight. Recovery was definitely the most difficult with my first, who was also my smallest at 6 lb 11 oz. 

    Second was planned as a hospital water birth but they didn’t have a tub free until I was fully dilated. It was about 11 hours total. The first few were easily manageable. At home I never got to the 5-1-1 they recommended but the contractions were getting longer and I felt it was time so we drove to the hospital. The car ride was terrible with every contraction. Was 7 cm dilated when we arrived and they gave me the decision to wait in the L&D triage area until a tub room was open or labor in a private room until it was ready. I waited in triage for 30-45 minutes then took the private room. Got on the ball then took a warm shower for idk how long— just feeling the hot water on my back is what I needed. After a while I started to question whether I could really do it or should just go ask for the epidural after all. Then got the urge to use the toilet. On the toilet my water finally broke and I realized it was time (because of how I felt, not because my water broke), so I called out to my husband to get the midwife. At some point I threw up. She came in as a nurse came to let me know the tub room was open. It was too late for that! We got the bed propped up and I tried out hands and knees and the labor bar. Preferred hands and knees. After 11 minutes of pushing she was born, maybe 4 hours after we got to the hospital. She was 8 lb 10 oz. Had a very small tear and got a couple stitches but no biggie. Recovery was much easier this time and so was breastfeeding. General info: they did intermittent monitoring but never even so much as an IV port. It was great.

    Third was my homebirth water baby. Labor was similar to with my daughter. Hung out on the ball a lot. Took a walk. More ball. Drank a smoothie. Threw it up right before he was born. At some point contacted my doula and midwife team. Doula got there probably 5 hours before he came. Midwife team maybe two hours. Got into an argument with my husband about filling the birth tub (in his mind this baby would come at the same time of day as my daughter did— late at night— and you’re not supposed to fill the tub too soon or the water will cool down) and my doula intervened and got it done. When I got to the point where I was questioning why I was doing this— going “natural” instead of going to the hospital and getting an epidural like all the smarter and more comfortable women— he wasn’t far off from being born. Had him on my hands and knees in the birthing tub in our room. He was born partially en caul, so when his head came out my bag of waters was still intact around him, but it broke as his body was born. He was a biggie at 9 lb 8 oz but didn’t need any stitches or anything. Again had intermittent monitoring once my midwives arrived and recovery wasn’t a beautiful cakewalk or anything but much more manageable than post-meds. 
    Report Reply
  • loveanddatadrivenloveanddatadriven member
    I love this thread! Thank you @kiwi2628. I had a medically needed induction for my last birth, and I definitely chafed at all the cords and Foley catheter line and IVs hanging from me. I also found out that a lot of the freedom the hospital advertised to us (shower, walking, moving truly freely about the room) were off limits to me because the (mandatory?) monitoring was not wireless. I was totally tethered. My OB had misinformed me during our pre-induction appointment. Ask the HOSPITAL.

    I would just recommend asking about what an induction/pitocin augmentation or epidural will be like during a hospital tour. Do they have any policies about additional monitoring?

    It took about 45 minutes from the moment I decided I wanted an epidural to when I actually got it, then a while for it to kick in. Good time to have coping techniques.

    I was amazed at how quickly my SIL bounced back after a med-free birth. It took me a full 24 hours for my epidural to fully wear off, so H had to help me to the bathroom during that time.

    Definitely interested in pursuing a med-free birth if everything is low risk this time around.
    Report Reply
  • hoosiermamajaydenhoosiermamajayden member
    @loveanddatadriven yes! No one warned me about ALL the cords and wires and monitors. No one told me I wouldn’t be able to move. No one told me I wouldn’t be able to eat. No one told me the dang IV might be IN MY RIGHT HAND. Anyway, it seems like somewhere in all those OB appointments, mainstream books, and pregnancy forums, someone could have told me these things. 

    Also I want to add that you should get a good support team in place! Whether you want to go med free or plan on an epidural, get your partner and optimally one other person if possible on board with your birth plan. I say this because my husband is a great guy but he is an awful birth support partner. Full disclosure my oldest isn’t his, we’re a blended family, so that birth is out. But while I was pregnant with my daughter we took a childbirth class together and I felt I was very direct in sitting down with him a few times and going over labor, birth plan, and what kind of help I wanted from him. 

    None of it came through. Until transition when I called to him to get the nurse he was sitting in my hospital room talking basketball with my dad. Then while I was pushing he rubbed my back a little and chatted with the nurse about the alma mater pin on her tag. I was very frustrated to say the least. Logically I know it’s because he was nervous, but you know, I didn’t exactly get that chance to just mentally check out and in when it suited me. 

    Next birth I went through all those same things with him again and got a doula. Thank goodness because he was pretty much aloof/oblivious again. Now, some dads to be are amazing support partners. That’s fantastic. But there’s a chance yours might suck and it’s not your fault, so I recommend getting a back-up if you don’t know yet!
    Report Reply
  • minnie_yoga_mamaminnie_yoga_mama member
    Does anyone have recommendations for birth courses or other resources for managing a natural labor and birth? Breathing techniques, pain relief techniques, etc would be great! I’ll be giving birth in a hospital but want as natural if a birth as possible! 
    Report Reply
  • shlecksshlecks member
    I wanted to go unmedicated with my first, but things didn’t go as planned. My water broke at home, labor didn’t start, they induced with cytotec and then pitocin, things went okay just very very slow. I decided to go for an epidural to try to get some rest and I regret it so much. The epidural didn’t work. It numbed like one side of me but not my uterus. They tried to give me another one and it was basically the same issue. Legs but not middle. So there I am with the catheter pressing on my urethra which was like the worst feeling plus contractions and my body just stalled at like 8cm. After a loooong labor I opted for a C-section because I was just so so tired. 

    Are there any moms who have had a successful vbac? That’s what I really want this time.
    IAmPregnant Ticker
    Report Reply
  • hoosiermamajaydenhoosiermamajayden member
    @minnie_yoga_mama I recommend Ina May Gaskin’s books, reading as many positive birth stories as you can, and getting on the same page with your partner and/or birth coach. As far as classes go I’ve heard really good things about Birth Boot Camp but never signed up in time to take it.
    Report Reply
  • bluecampanulabluecampanula member
    edited September 2021
    I’ve had 3 med free births so far. My mom thought I was certifiably insane when I first told her that’s what I wanted to do and tried really hard to talk me out of it. So I made her read Ina May’s guide to childbirth and now she’s a total convert and very, very supportive. I think I’m going to try to get DH to read the birth partner or something, I tend to be very insular in labor and I think he always feels useless. He’s also very squeamish - he doesn’t have a problem with movies, but has been known to pass out when loved ones have small but bleeding cuts. He’s been fine each time, just throwing that out there for any other squeamish partners  ;)

    (3 positive birth stories, i just felt bad for how long they are, so spoilers)
    All of my labors have happened at night and lasted 5 hours from first contraction to birth. The first one, I was getting into bed and had this really funny sensation, like a mini pop. My waters hadn’t totally broken, more like sprung a tiny leak. I called the triage nurse and they had me come in. (In the meantime DH was just drifting off to sleep  :D) I waited around in triage for awhile, no contractions, but just as the nurse was coming back in to dismiss me the rest of my water broke and the contractions started immediately in earnest. It was very intense, the contractions were immediately one on top of the other, but it also kept me very focused. Focused on riding each wave, trying to go with it and relax as much as I could. (Or hill, as I thought of them) I remember thinking to myself as I’d reach the peak, “ok, I made it through that one, I can do another.” And then when it got to a point like @hoosiermamajayden said, where I just wanted to be done, I told myself, “that means I’m transitioning! So I’m almost there!” Around this point I got in the tub and it was such bliss! It was such an amazing relief. Hospital policy didn’t allow you to deliver in the tub though, so they told me sternly to let them know when I first needed to push. But it felt soooo goooood being in the water I definitely waited through the first couple beginning urges to push to let them know - I didn’t want to get out until I was sure! My midwife was the only one on the team I hadn’t met during clinic visits but she was fantastic. I don’t remember much of this, but my mom made sure to tell me that the midwife had worked really hard with perineal massage to prevent me from tearing. I had very mild tearing, I think maybe one stitch. I feel like I do pretty well with labor coping, but it does take me a bit to get into the mindset of pushing. 

    I got the same CNM for my second birth - I was so happy about that! And she had some good laughs with me during labor. Because my water was still intact I kept waiting for the contractions to get as intense as the first time. I was literally twiddling my thumbs in between them, like what do I do with all this time in between? At one point I started worrying they were actually slowing down so I asked them to time one. They smiled,  “they’re only a minute apart.” They asked if I wanted to get in the tub, and I said, “I think I’m still ok, you told me last time to wait until I needed it most.” After checking she chuckled and said, “if you wait any longer, it’ll be too late.” Because my waters were still intact, it wasn’t the same crazy difference as the previous time. Awhile later she checked me again and said if she broke them I’d have a baby in my arms really soon, so I went with that. And then the intensity I remembered was back. But no longer tub time! DS6 was sunny side up so I had some back labor when it came to pushing time. The midwife told DH to push on my low back to help relieve it, which did help a lot. So much that I forgot what I was supposed to be doing and scolded him a couple times, “push harder!” Until I remembered that I was the one actually responsible for pushing the baby out :D No real tearing, she described it as “skid marks”. No stitches. 

    Then we moved and I almost cried at the idea of leaving that midwife behind. I opted for a freestanding birth center, which is around the corner from our hospital, because I decided I wanted to try a water birth. Still chasing that relief of the water from my first labor! My midwife is not the biggest fan of water births, but after giving me a very descriptive run down let me go for it. I tested positive for group b strep so there was an extra pressure of needing to get to the birth center right away with my history of labor times so the IV would have a chance to actually do it’s thing. But I also found the idea of having to wake everyone up just for me (rather than a hospital where there’s staff there 24/7) really intimidating when the time came. So I had contractions start a couple different nights, just enough to keep me awake but when I’d get up and start getting to the point of making phone calls the fear of being not actually in labor made them stop. Finally the next night I thought to myself as we were getting ready for bed, I’ve had enough of this, I’m going to have this baby. So I… seduced… DH and it worked and got labor going for sure. I announced a little later it was go time and we made all our calls (midwife, childcare, etc) and when we got in the car to go he looked at me with this wounded puppy dog expression, “you used me, didn’t you.” (It’s really not his favorite that I always go in to labor just as he’s falling asleep, I however, think it’s great timing). I’m not fond of needles so was feeling quite green during the antibiotic IV and the midwife told me to breathe in through my nose, out through my mouth, which worked. Labor was pretty similar to the second one. In the first two I threw up both times during transition, this time I felt the same way but decided I really didn’t want to, so did that breathing trick and was fine. My mom, incidentally, thought to herself, “well it can’t be too close yet since she hasn’t thrown up yet.” And chose that same moment to wander down the hall to make herself a cup of tea. She came very very close to missing the birth. Labor slows down quite a bit for me if I’m reclined, like, in a tub. But that also feels nice, so i had to convince myself a bit to sit forward or get on all fours to keep things going. Again we opted to break my waters, but this time I could be back in the tub. I didn’t have a complete water birth because the cord got wrapped around his neck and I had to come out a bit so the midwife could loosen it. And there was a real awkward bit after the baby is born but the placenta hasn’t been delivered and I had to waddle from the tub to the bed… I probably won’t go for a water birth again this time, I don’t know, we’ll see. There are a lot of options at the birth center. No tearing at all that time. 


    Report Reply
  • aloha_mamaaloha_mama member
    @minnie_yoga_mama We used the Bradley Method with my first and we loved it. We wanted the labor and delivery to be something we got through as a team and DH was the only one I wanted near me the whole time. I highly recommend it. My friend has had four med-free births and uses hypnobirthing with hers. Ina May is also excellent. No recommendations on classes, though.

    I had a semi-med-free birth with DD6 and we’re planning on another one in a birth center this time. Birth story:

    I had PPROM at 35 weeks, water broke at 7am and we headed straight in and I had pitocin started. Four hours later, DD was there. It was a roller coaster for sure. I told my birth team to direct any and all questions and concerns to DH and not to bother me, and everyone was great about it. No one spoke a word to me but DH. I didn’t want to hear the words “epidural” or “pain management” AT ALL. If I wanted it, I would ask for it, otherwise get out. I refused all cervical checks because they’re basically useless and don’t do anything but provide an in for bacteria and infection, plus they’re super uncomfortable. I bitched about the IV but I knew it was medically necessary because 1) I was on pit, 2) my BP was super low, and 3) I needed antibiotics because my GBS status was unknown, and I did need continuous fetal monitoring because DD was a preemie. It turned out for the best because she started having decels while I was pushing so I needed to breathe into an oxygen mask for a bit. I was probably a horrible patient but whatever. I labored for almost the whole time on the ball, but when I started getting nauseous and a bit panicky I knew I was transitioning. I freaked out a little because I had only been in labor for about three hours total (sounds nice, was actually terrifying and I thought I was going to die). My body began pushing on its own so we got me maneuvered into a hands-and-knees position, but a few pushes there just weren’t doing it for me so I laid on my left side with my knee up and delivered DD there. Maybe five pushes total. No one yelling at me or counting to ten or any of that, it was completely quiet and calm  just like I wanted it. I was able to nurse her immediately, and was up to the bathroom within an hour. Med-free isn’t for everyone, and it helps to have some preparation and planning in place beforehand, but I am so glad we did it because I felt so much more in control of my situation and DH felt more involved and less helpless than he thought he would. 

    Report Reply
  • doxiemoxie212doxiemoxie212 member
    @mamastefit has a course about birth positions etc to help labor progress as well as prenatal fitness classes. I find their free IG content immeasurably helpful. 

    @womeninmotion has a pregnancy prep course from a DPT (doctorate of physical therapy) standpoint. It's fairly neutral as far as med free or not, but she encourages to try to stay mobile as long as possible.

    There's a doula on IG I'm forgetting but I'll try to remember to post tomorrow, but she's also super super helpful. 
    Report Reply
  • taylorz8912taylorz8912 member
    @kiwi2628 I have basically the same experiences as you. My first was medicated second baby I wasn’t medicated but not by my choice I just didn’t have time to get the epidural by the time I got to the hospital and my third I decided to do a homebirth and obviously med free since I had already done it before. This will be my third non-medicated birth and second home birth. It’s amazing what our bodies can endure and we still want to do it again LOL
    Report Reply
  • miss_lynn9miss_lynn9 member
    edited September 2021
    I had an unmedicated water birth at the hospital. DD1 was born at 42 weeks. I had a Foley inserted then I was given castor oil to start my contractions. The castor oil didn't help, it just made me poop haha. So MW gave me a herbal tincture which worked immediately. I took it at 5ish and tried to sleep as much as I could. One benefit of having a MW was I was able to call her and she listened to me go through a contraction and told me if I should go into the hospital or not. At about 11 I was at the point where I couldn't handle it on my own and the things H was doing to help (pressure on low back) was not longer helping. I called her and she said I was still fine but my water broke on the phone with her so she to us to come in. We got to the hospital at 1;00am, got the pool set up and DD1 was born at 7:10am.

    The things that helped me get through it, not in any specific order. 
    1. The hot water. Seriously, it helped so much more than I expected. 
    2. Breathing techniques and knowing what sounds to make. 
    3. DHs hand. I squeezed that thing so hard haha. 
    DH was beside me the entire time and it helped to know how to breath because he would hear the beginning breath and immediately grab my hand. 

    The resources I found the most helpful. 
    1. Prenatal yoga. This wasn't a typical yoga class but with pregnant woman. Every class was something different and there wasn't much yoga involved. One class would be about birthing positions and things the partner can do to help with the pain. One was all about breathing and noises to make. A bunch of women doing squats while roaring like lions was a lot of fun haha
    2. Nurse Zabe on YouTube has so many useful videos. Not only about natural birth but about c-sections and everything in between. 
    3. Bridget Teyler. I liked her breathing techniques

    One thing my MW warned me about was that if the herbal tincture didn't work, she would have to give me oxytocin; which meant I would 100% get an epidural. She explained that natural induction medications like castor oil or herbs just help the body do what it needs to do. Oxytocin starts the contractions and they are intense and fast instead of increasing intensity slowly. Because of this, it is highly likely that an epidural will be required.

    I was lucky with my MW. Everyone kept telling me that the beginning contractions were nothing compared to active labor. So before I was in active labor I was thinking that if the beginning ones were this intense, I absolutely would not be able to handle active labor so I asked about an epidural. She sat beside me and explained the pros and cons, and provided alternative options along with their pros and cons. She also said that she didn't think I needed it because I was handling it better than 90% of her clients; but she would get it for me if I wanted it. I decided to continue laboring without any medication and I'm so glad I did. It was hard, very hard and I have zero judgment for people that do want or need medication. 

    Do what feels right for you. It's your body and your the one going through labor. Also remember that a birth plan is just a plan. Things can change on a dime. So make a plan, and have a back-up and know that you may not be able to stick with any of it. 
    Report Reply
  • Ivorytower2Ivorytower2 member
    Omg @doxiemoxie212 I can’t even imagine being in torturous pain while everyone told me this is “the easy part” and thinking I had 36 more hours to go. You probably pretty much made it all the way without the epi, but how would they know without checking!
    Report Reply
  • doxiemoxie212doxiemoxie212 member
    @Ivorytower2 and low intervention birth approaches will recommend not getting cervical checks because usually it's the opposite - you check and it shows you haven't progressed as much as you'd hope so you get discouraged by them. Makes total sense. Just didn't work that way for me lol
    Report Reply
  • loveanddatadrivenloveanddatadriven member
    @doxiemoxie212 the very beginning of my induction was very powerful as well.

    H and I were both panicking because we were also told this was the “easy part” and “try to get some sleep”. In contrast to your story though, the contractions (and projectile vomiting) eased about 45 minutes later. Fortunately, the nurse and laborist both agreed I was responding more strongly than they expected and helped me with some antiemetics for which I am eternally grateful.
    Report Reply
  • doxiemoxie212doxiemoxie212 member
    @loveanddatadriven I expected it with the pitocin (which I never got), but I think my lack-of-water essentially natural labor was just way way way way wayyy too intense. I hear other women talk about their labor experiences, and I'm just like wow yea I never had the "oh is this a contraction?" bullshit hahaha like no, it was clear, it was either a contraction or DEATH hahaha
    Report Reply
  • kiwi2628kiwi2628 member
    @doxiemoxie212 my first my water broke before contractions started and from contraction 1 they were intense. I didn’t realize they were so intense until labor with DD when my water didn’t break and I was like ‘THIS IS LABOR?!?’ It felt so easy in comparison. That amniotic fluid really helps keep the pain away
    Report Reply
  • doxiemoxie212doxiemoxie212 member
    @kiwi2628 really hoping for that "gentle progression" of labor this time lol 
    Report Reply
  • doxiemoxie212doxiemoxie212 member
    @Boobopgirl my hospital allowed me to eat if I wanted to. Even once I got the epidural, while I was pushing I felt like I needed some food in my stomach, and they allowed it. 
    Report Reply
  • BoobopgirlBoobopgirl member
    @doxiemoxie212 that's fantastic. Both of the local hospitals here are very adamant about not eating or drinking anything but ice chips. My SIL even got scolded for drinking the water that melted from her ice chips.   🙄
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Pregnancy Ticker
    Report Reply
  • Blondesweety444Blondesweety444 member
    I'm assuming that the reason for no eating/drinking is in case there's an emergency c section? Well.... I definitely ate a ton of pizza before going in for monitoring at 10am knowing I'd be there all afternoon (my assumption was that I'd be admitted since we were moving down that path). But ended up having a emergency csection at 1pm. There wasn't much they could do about it at that point anyways, but nobody seemed super concerned about it. 

    So use your judgement, but what's a granola bar going to hurt?  ;)
    Report Reply
  • doxiemoxie212doxiemoxie212 member
    @Blondesweety444 that actually isn't necessary, though. If you needed an emergency c-section after eating a giant meal because you had no idea you were about to have a placental abruption they'd be able to do it safely because in the 90s they developed new intubation technology. 
    Report Reply
  • Blondesweety444Blondesweety444 member
    Exactly @doxiemoxie212 ! (sorry if my point wasn't clear) I mentioned to them several times I'd eaten recently and they all shrugged it off so I'm assuming it just isn't that big of a deal anymore. Makes me wonder what the purpose of limiting food during labor is (if csections isn't the reason)?

    Also - pure curiosity, in the case that you mentioned above, would they intubate you for the csection? (outside of the fact that they probably would because of urgency and can't wait for epidural) That would be kind of a bummer.
    Report Reply
  • aloha_mamaaloha_mama member
    @Blondesweety444 Yes, the reason a lot of hospitals don’t allow food consumption during labor (especially after an epidural) is the risk of having to have an emergency C-section. We only intubate our patients if for some reason we have to do general anesthesia and put them to sleep. Most C-sections are able to be performed with an epidural or spinal anesthetic but in the case of an extreme emergency we have to pull out the big guns and get baby out immediately. From start to finish we can do this in 8 minutes. It’s a nightmare situation but there is a risk of aspiration during anesthesia if the patient vomits so most L&D units restrict food. But… Like @kiwi2628 said, no one is going to kick you out if you eat so whatever, it doesn’t make any sense to starve yourself while your body is burning the caloric equivalent of several marathons. My unit thankfully doesn’t do this, we continue to deliver legit food trays to the room unless mom isn’t tolerating it for some reason. Even then I try to get them to eat Jello or pudding or popsicles or something. 
    Report Reply
  • BoobopgirlBoobopgirl member
    That's very interesting.  They literally told both me and my sister in law (different hospitals) that they WOULD NOT do a C-section even in an emergency if we had eaten.  Obviously I know that they would and that's an empty threat.  And I was still stealing sips of my husband's Gatorade the whole time. But she didn't and it scared the 💩 out of her because she thought they'd let her baby die if she had some water.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Pregnancy Ticker
    Report Reply
  • kiwi2628kiwi2628 member
    @Blondesweety444 like Pp said, even for emergency c sections if you have an epidural the no eating rule makes little sense. It’s only if you have a true emergent like ‘get this baby out in 8 minutes’ need intubation that it becomes a bigger deal. And even then, aspiration pneumonia is uncommon. But eating during labor has been shown to shorten labor, decrease the risk of ‘failure to progress’ due to exhaustion and increase mother satisfaction. Most other countries recommend laboring women eat/ it’s just in the US most hospitals don’t. 
    Report Reply
  • aloha_mamaaloha_mama member
    @Boobopgirl Okay, that’s just awful and untrue! If you’re threatening your patients then there’s definitely something very wrong there. I’m sorry you both had that experience!
    Report Reply
  • kiwi2628kiwi2628 member
    @Boobopgirl that is some really messed up stuff and I would never birth at a hospital that let that happen. Playing the ‘dead baby’ card is never ok. Neither is medical coercion. 
    Report Reply
  • boymom312boymom312 member
    I wanted a med free with my first. I was 10 days overdue when I had him and was induced with cervadil and had pitosin. I ended up having 2 failed epidurals. The only thing numb was a quarter sized area on my right thigh. I was not happy to say the least. DS1 was having issues as well. I ultimately needed the vac because I was so exhausted after having pit contracts for 2 days and no food. He came out crying and perfect from then on. I had. 2nd degree tear, but it Andy so bad.

    When my second came naturally, I knew that I could do it without meds based on my last experience. That’s exactly what I did. I labored at home as long as I could. Ate a big ol bagel, then headed to the hospital. The labor was tough but manageable with breathing exercises. I used the ball a lot, walked a OT, and rocked standing with my arms and torso leaning on an elevated bed. One good push and he was out! From start to finish it was 12 hrs. I had a “skid mark tear” that was barely a 2. My recovery was amazing. DS2 was perfect. 

    I was overdue with DS3. I was induced at 41 +1 wks with a balloon. I was determined to stay away from the pitosin and was adamant that it be a last ditch effort. I had back labor with him and labor was slow and hard. I opted to give the epi another shot. I really wanted to push through, probably could have if I knew I’d have him soon. (I didn’t have him soon) thankfully the epi worked. I didn’t like being confined to the bed at all though. DS3 was having issues as well and the doc gave me one shot to push him out or we were headed to an emergency c-section. 2 pushes and he was out. Took him a couple seconds to cry, but he did! Hasn’t stopped talking since! 

    This time around I’d love another med free birth. It was such a positive experience for me. I really hate inductions! My doc won’t let me go beyond 40 wks this time though due to my age and history. So as much as I’d love another med free birth, I’d love a healthy baby more. Baby gets to decide this one! 

     

     

    Report Reply
  • doxiemoxie212doxiemoxie212 member
    Yeah, I think it's also important to be really clear with your team about what an emergent c-section is. A lot of non-medical people think an unplanned c-section is the same thing as emergent - it's not. If no one is rushing, it's not emergent. So, yeah, if mom and baby are still healthy but mom decides in the middle of labor she wants a c-section and she's eaten, her team is probably going to advise against that - but they might also advise against a c-section in that case even if she has eaten because a c-section is major surgery (and many hospitals and doctors are trying to keep their c-section rates low these days). If mom or baby is in severe distress whether or not you've eaten is super low on the priority list to check. 
    Report Reply
Sign In or Register to comment.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"